animal behavior – The Human Evolution Blog

The Value of Social Relationships During Aging in Female Rhesus Macaques

April 9, 2018

Rhesus monkeys have an intricate social structure. There is a dominance hierarchy, meaning that not all individuals enjoy the same rank in the group. This also effects the value that individuals gain from each of their relationships. Obviously, having powerful allies is of great value. And to maintain a powerful position requires allies. These are all … More The Value of Social Relationships During Aging in Female Rhesus Macaques

Cats Can Find Their Own Kittens by Smell; They Just Don’t Care

November 27, 2017

A new study resolves an old dispute. Cat mothers DO recognize their own kittens by smell, even if they don’t favor them in retrieval tests. … More Cats Can Find Their Own Kittens by Smell; They Just Don’t Care

Even Marmosets Develop Regional Dialects

November 14, 2017

New research confirms that marmoset calls vary in different groups, showing that the calls are learned, not strictly biologically programmed. … More Even Marmosets Develop Regional Dialects

Dogs Understand the Concept of Different Perspectives

June 28, 2017

New research reveals that dog have an understanding of what you can and can’t know based on what you can see. This argues that they may have a “theory of mind.” … More Dogs Understand the Concept of Different Perspectives

What is the value of play?

May 1, 2017

[This is a quick summary of the second chapter of my book, Not So Different: Finding Human Nature in Animals on play and recreation. The thesis of the book is that we can better understand human behaviors by studying their equivalents in other animals.] Isn’t playing a pointless distraction for an animal? At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be any … More What is the value of play?

From Woodpeckers to Apes: Competition Drives the Correlation between Brain Size and Group Size

March 8, 2017

A new study of woodpeckers adds nuance to the relationship between brain power and social interactions. … More From Woodpeckers to Apes: Competition Drives the Correlation between Brain Size and Group Size

Social Learning in Animals: Implications for the Evolution of Human Intelligence

February 7, 2017

It’s becoming increasingly clear that animals do a great deal of social learning, which gives insight into how humans became culturally modern. … More Social Learning in Animals: Implications for the Evolution of Human Intelligence

Dominance Status Affects the Transmission of Fear

October 17, 2016

Fear is a powerful motivator. It’s also a very interesting social behavior that can be either genetically programmed, socially learned, or both. … More Dominance Status Affects the Transmission of Fear

The Biological Foundations of Justice

October 14, 2016

On November 15th at 4:30p, I will be giving a lecture regarding how the study of animal behavior and human evolutionary history provide powerful clues of how to design a criminal justice system that works with our inherent nature instead of against it. … More The Biological Foundations of Justice

What Mountain Gorillas Can Teach Us about Gendered Behaviors

June 6, 2016

A population of Mountain Gorillas recently underwent a complete upheaval in the most central aspects of their gender-based social structures. If they can do it, so can we. … More What Mountain Gorillas Can Teach Us about Gendered Behaviors

The Human Evolution Blog

Research, Writing, and Musings from Prof. Nathan H. Lents

Tag: animal behavior